


Deception

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, PWP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-06
Updated: 2003-04-06
Packaged: 2017-11-01 09:05:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/354742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has an agenda.  (Lex/Lucas)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deception

## Deception

by SkaterBoy

[]()

* * *

Title: Deception  
Author: Skater Boy (ImaSkaterBoy@hotmail.com) Category: Drama, PWP  
Spoilers For: Prodigal, Fever  
Rating: NC17  
Pairing: Lex/Lucas  
Summary: Everyone has an agenda. 

* * *

Author's Note: This is not a Slut!Lex fic. This is a sex-is-good-but-also-the-only-place-he-can-express-affection-and-escape-his-demons!Lex fic. 

* * *

"So what's in Metropolis?" 

Clark played with the circle of condensation his cup of iced coffee had left on the Talon table, trying to look indifferent. He'd been thinking about it for a while, and this weekend he'd finally decided to come out to Lex, and now Lex was leaving. And even though Clark was the one with x-ray vision, he was pretty sure Lex could see right through his pathetic attempt at disinterest. 

Lex did a much better job of looking like he didn't really care, probably, Clark thought, because he didn't. Lex had seemed distracted lately and besides, why would he care about Clark's issues? 

"Lucas," Lex said, smiling as Lana handed him a takeout bag. Clark looked back and forth between the two of them, not sure if he was jealous, and of whom. 

"Lucas?" It took Clark a second to remember who Lucas was. "Oh, your brother." He nodded. 

" _Half_ brother," Lex corrected stiffly, as if it mattered. Which, clearly, it did. Half sociopath, half psychopath, all Luthor. "He's in the hospital." 

Clark raised his eyebrows. "What happened?" 

"I'm not aware of the details, but I'm sure Lionel had something to do with it." Clark tried, and failed, to read the look on Lex's face. Resigned, maybe, an acceptance of the inevitable. 

Clark couldn't tell, but Lex was grinning. Thinking of his limo idling outside, waiting to take him back to the manor one last time before he took a long vacation from this wretched town. Lex thought briefly that he would miss watching the inconsequential little melodramas that were a constant in Smallville, but the thought disappeared as he took care of the check and slid out of the booth. Clark looked confused. 

"When will you be back?" 

Lex smiled smugly at the forced subtlety of the question. "I don't know, Clark. I'll be in touch." Eventually. 

* * *

Lex was collecting the last of his important documents when he felt his father's presence in his office doorway. He sighed to himself. He really had to do something about the security. 

"Getting ready for the banquet, Lex?" Lex allowed himself to smirk before turning around. 

"As a matter of fact, no." The assessing glances soon turned into a staring contest. Everything was an argument, words and looks, unspoken challenges. 

"Your presence is required at the banquet. I'm certain you're aware of that." A tilt of the head, a subtle eyebrow raise. Lex knew what every gesture meant. 

"Actually, _dad_ , LexCorp just needs a representative there." 

"I see." The pause was slightly too long. "And who will be representing you?" 

Lex put down the memo he was holding. "I'm sending Gabe Sullivan." 

"Lex, the man isn't qualified." 

Lex chuckled and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, as though seeking intelligence there. "At least he's trustworthy." 

"Is that an insinuation, Lex? I assure you, Dominic is completely loyal." 

Lex shook his head as he turned around to leaf through the top drawer of a file cabinet. "Loyalty and trustworthiness are hardly equivalent, Lionel. I'm surprised you haven't learned that by now." He removed the file he wanted and added it to the small pile in his briefcase on the desk. "Now if you don't mind, I have places to go." He snapped the briefcase shut and started out of the office. 

"Lex." Lionel grabbed Lex's arm when he was ignored. Lex turned his head just enough to glare pointedly at the hand, then Lionel's face. 

"I'm not going to your silly little banquet." He yanked his arm away. Lionel had the decency to look offended. 

"It's not a `silly little banquet', son. This event will greatly improve our visibility in and around Metropolis." 

Lex wondered if it were possible to be more visible than they already were. "The car's waiting for me." He took his jacket from the coat rack and didn't look back. "I trust you can show yourself out." 

Lex started drinking the minute the limo started out the driveway. Before he could aim for his final destination, he had a detour to make. And he really didn't feel like making it. 

* * *

He'd gotten the page from Helen that morning. Lex was fairly certain he knew what it was about, but refused to make assumptions. When he asked to see her, the hospital receptionist smiled at him and asked him to take a seat. Helen would be out when her shift was over. 

Lex wasn't used to waiting. By the time Helen was ready for him, he was pretty pissed off. But he smiled charmingly at her, and motioned to the conference room, letting her enter first before following and closing the door. 

"What's this about?" He did his best to sound patient, but he really wanted to be in Metropolis right now. 

"Lex..." And for once the doctor seemed hesitant. Never one to mince words, though, she continued, "I'm pregnant." 

Lex just barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "I see." He watched her carefully, waiting for whatever she was going to say next. 

"I can't afford a baby." 

Lex was having a hard time believing she had the nerve to do this. "What are you saying?" Helen seemed confused by the fact that he wasn't going for his checkbook or threatening to make her disappear. 

"Lex, I need... what are we going to do?" Lex shrugged. 

"I don't see why that's any of my concern." Lex loved it when she looked indignant. "Do whatever you want." 

"Lex! How can you be so... heartless?" 

Ah, heartless. Well, he was, but that didn't have anything to do with this. "Helen," he began, never losing his grin, "you've known me for a long time." When it seemed clear to her that this was not an explanation for his heartlessness, she folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head, waiting. "Did I ever tell you how I came to be bald?" 

Helen narrowed her eyes. "You were in Smallville during the meteor shower fifteen years ago. What does that have to do with anything?" 

"Apparently, I failed to mention that the incident also left me, shall we say, unproductive." 

It took a moment for the significance of that statement to sink in. When it did, she nearly blushed from the accusation. True, they'd never claimed to be exclusive, but... 

"So you're not going to help me." 

"Like I said, it's not my concern." 

Helen scowled. She stared at the wall clock for a few minutes, and Lex realized she was thinking. Not the kind of thinking that led to medical breakthroughs. "Lex." Lex had never thought of Helen as the desperate type, but she was doing a damn good imitation of it. "What if I told you I had some information?" 

Information. "Are you trying to blackmail me, doctor?" He held her gaze. He was still smiling. 

"No, Lex, I'm trying to bribe you." Said with complete seriousness. If nothing else, Lex was intrigued. 

"And what makes you think that your _information_ means anything to me?" He chuckled, and started to leave the conference room. 

"Because it's about Clark Kent." 

Well. "I have my own investigators researching Clark. You're aware of that." She wasn't happy about it, and when he'd tried to get the results from Helen's examination of him during the recent strange events (admittedly not strange for Smallville, however), she'd refused, saying she'd made a promise to Clark's family. 

"The stakes are higher now." This wasn't like Helen, Lex thought. It really wasn't. 

"Are you really pregnant? Or did you get yourself into some kind of trouble you can't get out of?" Don't let this be about Lucas, Lex silently begged. I've had enough of Lionel's games. 

Helen still leaned against the counter, but Lex could see the tenseness in her posture. She was really trapped. "Of course I'm really pregnant. Why would I lie about something like that?" 

"Stranger things have happened." Lex couldn't think of any examples at the moment, so he let the examples present themselves to Helen's mind. "Alright, tell me this. If you are pregnant, who's the father? Because it sure as hell isn't me." 

"I don't know." She looked sincerely embarrassed. Which meant one of two things. Maybe Helen really wasn't trying to play him. 

"Helen." He moved closer and tried to make her look at him, but she stared determinedly at the wall. "Were you raped?" 

"No! Why..." And she shut up, because at least if she'd been raped she would have an excuse. Lex had almost started to feel sorry for her. 

The good doctor was a slut. 

"Right." Lex nodded. "I have to go, Helen. Good luck." 

He didn't look back. 

* * *

He stopped by his mother's gravestone one last time before leaving. He'd been doing it less and less, and it was never the main purpose of his outings. Sometimes he thought he invented reasons to go places, just so he could visit her, but it hurt more every time and every time it was longer before he went back again. 

He wondered when it would really be the last time. 

* * *

Metropolis was busy, as usual. Lex liked it better here, in the city, where things happened. Things not meteor-related, things that mattered to his business and the rest of the world. 

It was the second hospital he'd been to in the last few hours. Two hospitals and a cemetery in one day, and Lex was starting to question the likelihood that this _wasn't_ an omen. 

Lucas was too tired to manage a glare a Lex, so he settled for narrowing his eyes accusingly. "What are you doing here?" He cursed inwardly at how weak his voice sounded. 

Lex settled against the doorframe, considering his half-brother. Lucas was a Luthor, just like he was, but Lex knew it wouldn't be the same if he were the one in intensive care. There'd be bodyguards outside, people checking up on him every half hour. Lucas, at best, was in a single room, but it might not be that way for long. The bed next to his hadn't even been made yet. 

"I heard about the accident." It was a loaded statement, filled with as much accusation as inquiry. Somehow, Lucas managed to chuckle. 

"Accident." He watched Lex closely, but Lex's face showed nothing. "You call an ambush outside of a club an accident." 

Lex shrugged with the arm that wasn't pressed into the doorjamb. "Are you sure you were the target?" 

Lucas was silent as he considered what Lex was saying. He'd actually wondered if he'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. "A lot of people want me dead." 

Especially Lionel, Lex thought. "Less than the number of people who want me dead." Suddenly it was a contest, to see who was the most hated Luthor. Although, to be fair, Lionel would probably win that one hands down. 

Lucas sighed, and in his state of immobility it was as good as a nod of agreement. He murmured softly, almost to himself. "How do I get myself into these things?" 

"You were careless." Lex's voice was harder than he'd wanted it to be, and he silently berated himself for letting his emotions show. Dropping his eyes to the foot of the bed, he pushed away from the door and moved across the room. "Besides, it's in our nature to get into precarious situations." 

"You think they were after you?" He closed his eyes, wondering why it was comforting to feel Lex standing beside him. 

"I don't know." Lex looked down at Lucas. It was disquieting to see him so still and pale. The Lucas Lex had gotten to know, albeit over a short amount of time, was always active, if not physically then internally, and Lex had felt alive again when he saw the activity in Lucas' eyes, a mirror of his own nonstop thought process, anticipating and planning and ready for anything. Different from the relaxed atmosphere in Smallville, and Lionel's soulless eyes. Here was his equal. 

Lucas was anything but active now. Even his mind seemed bruised, and his eyes weren't moving under the lids. So unusual. 

He opened his eyes to see Lex staring at him. Contemplating him, it seemed. He stared back, not afraid or ashamed, which was more than most people could claim under Lex's intimidating gaze. 

"I'll find out who did this to you," Lex declared after a long silence. Lucas closed his eyes in acquiescence, willing to assume it was just business, them against Lionel again, nothing personal. 

Lex was gone before he had a chance to reply. 

* * *

Lex had decided to investigate it himself. Too much was at stake to risk trusting the wrong person. 

He wasn't entirely comfortable with Lucas being at the hospital without bodyguards. Even he hadn't been the intended target, that didn't mean whoever was responsible wouldn't come back to finish the job. Lex was barely consoled by the fact that Lucas had been admitted under an alias. 

He'd tried to be casual about asking questions around the club, but everyone looked twice when you were Lex Luthor. To this end he'd purchased a custom-made wig and some platform-soled leather shoes. He was less recognizable, for the most part, and people at the club accepted that he was just a rich anonymous patron. On the surface it wasn't as racy as Club Zero, but there was a lot of questionable activity, including illegal gambling and drug dealing. It took Lex a few weeks to get ingratiated into the club's underground culture, but once he was there he had all the access he needed. 

Around the time Lex was becoming familiar with the less well-known aspects of the club, Lucas was ready to be released from the hospital. After Lucas had been transferred out of the ICU, Lex had visited every once in a while, wearing his simple but expensive disguise. The first time he'd seen it, Lucas had laughed before admitting that Lex looked good with hair. He failed to comment on the wig's similarity to his own style. 

"Mr. Dylan, nice to see you again." The receptionist smiled at Lex as she checked her computer. "I believe your brother is ready to go home. Are you taking him?" 

Lex nodded and smiled charmingly at the receptionist, who blushed. "Alright, then. We'll just send over a wheelchair as soon as someone is available." 

"Thank you, Lisa." He smiled over his shoulder and made his way to Lucas' room. Lucas' eyes were closed but Lex could tell he wasn't asleep. "Hey, `Jeff'. Ready to get out of this dump?" 

Lucas grinned. He'd regained a lot of his color, and Lex could see the life back in his eyes again. "Ready as you are, `Tim'." He pushed himself up to his elbows. "So where are you going to dump me after this?" 

Lex frowned. "I'm not dumping you anywhere, Lucas." Lucas looked confused. "I'm taking you to the penthouse." Lucas stared at him, disbelieving. 

"You trust-" Lucas shut up when the nurse came in with a wheelchair. He forced a friendly smile. "Thanks, Tina." 

"Not a problem, Jeff. You've been a model patient." And he had, if only because he'd been too tired to make trouble. 

They didn't talk on the way back to the penthouse. Lex talked on the phone while he drove, and Lucas couldn't care. He didn't bother to remind Lex that it was concurrently driving and talking on his cell that had landed Lex in a river. Lucas spent a good part of the drive thinking about Lex and Smallville, and the high school kid Lex pretended he wasn't obsessed with. 

Lex was still talking when they arrived at the penthouse. From the conversation, Lucas was able to tell it was a different person on the other end of the line, but Lex never missed a beat. Lucas stared at the floor numbers as the rode the elevator to the top, and somehow Lex didn't lose reception on his cell. 

"All he has to do is distribute business cards. It's really not that difficult." Lex rolled his eyes as he opened the penthouse door, motioning for Lucas to put his bags in the guest room. "No, Gabe, don't worry about it. Tell him to call me if he can't be there." Lex smiled to himself. "And thanks for representing the company at Lionel's functions. I meant to say something earlier but it never stops in Metropolis." 

Lucas wandered around the penthouse. Next to the manor in Smallville, it was the nicest place he'd ever been in. It was a hell of a lot nicer than the foster homes and halfway houses where he'd spent most of his life. He was sincerely surprised that Lex had brought him here. He could've hustled enough money from cards to afford a hotel room, maybe not one of the nicer ones but it would've been sufficient. 

Couldn't Lex see he didn't belong in a penthouse? He better not think Lucas was going to stay here for long. 

"Lucas," Lex started to say, but one of the main lines started ringing. Lucas stood in the kitchen, watching him talk. The impatient look on his face was at odds with his polite tone, but Lucas wouldn't have expected anything else. Lex finally hung up, muttering something in Latin that Lucas couldn't understand. 

"What's the plan?" 

"That depends on you." Lex's voice was clipped as he searched for his scotch. 

"Care to elaborate?" 

Lex sighed impatiently. "We can do it the old-fashioned way, or we can prosecute them. If you want to press charges you'll have to testify." 

"Can't you just pay someone off to take care of them?" 

Lex chuckled. "You don't honestly think I'm as stupid as Lionel, do you?" When Lucas just stared at him, Lex shrugged. "You _were_ the target, and guess who instigated the hit." He stepped closer to Lucas, sipping his scotch as casually as though they were discussing the weather. 

"Lionel." Lucas gritted his teeth. He was just angry enough that he didn't notice how close Lex was standing. "What did I do to him this time?" 

"Apparently, you didn't die." Lex smirked and swayed forward. As much as he hated Lionel, it always gave him a rush to think of ways to get back at him. "Want a drink?" Might as well share the joy. He held up the glass and Lucas reached out like he was going to take it, but just dipped his finger in. He was fully aware now of how close Lex was standing, and he liked it. He raised his finger to his lips, and locked eyes with Lex as he slowly slid his finger into his mouth. Lex swallowed. 

Lucas smiled around his finger. "Mmm." He pulled his finger out and placed it over Lex's bobbing adam's apple. "Good scotch, Lex. Thanks." Lex didn't protest when he leaned forward, so Lucas mouthed his closed lips, teasing inside with his tongue. Lex groaned and stepped back quickly. 

"Lucas, we can't." Once again, the look on his face contested his words. Undaunted, Lucas moved into Lex's personal space again. 

"Why not, Lex?" He smiled slightly, resting his lips on Lex's. 

"We're brothers." Lex looked slightly panicked, maybe because he had been flirting, but hadn't expected Lucas to reciprocate. After all, Clark had never reacted to his looks and double entendres. Why would Lucas be any different? 

Lucas, apparently, was different. "Half brothers," he corrected, nibbling at Lex's lower lip. "Besides, it worked for Romulus and Remus." 

Romulus and-? Lex tried to shake off the spark of lust he felt, concerned with how long it had taken for him to comprehend the historical reference. This wasn't right. And for a moment Lex wasn't sure if he was thinking about kissing Lucas or the fact that Lucas was still able to think straight. Well, maybe not exactly straight. 

He didn't try to fight it anymore. Lucas was still talking, and kissing his lower lip, and he'd never experienced anything so seductive. "They built an empire together." Lucas flicked his tongue over the scar in the middle of Lex's upper lip. "We already have an empire, Lex. We just have to take it for ourselves." He sucked both of Lex's lips into his mouth, and Lex could barely suppress a groan. He moved his hand around to the back of Lex's head, sliding his fingers under the collar of Lex's dress shirt. "We made a great team before." Then somehow both his hands were pulling Lex's hips toward his, and Lex moaned when he felt how hard Lucas was. "Let's be partners, Lex." He moved back, assessing Lex with a grin. 

Lex hadn't closed his eyes the whole time and stared back at Lucas. He wasn't sure how this had happened, but he was damned if he wasn't going to take advantage of this opportunity. He hadn't had sex since he'd come to Metropolis and there was no way some little detail like Lucas being his brother was going to make him stop this. 

Lucas was waiting for him to make the next move, so Lex smirked and started walking away. He glanced back to see a half-confused, half-frustrated Lucas. "You coming?" Lex motioned toward the bedroom. Lucas smirked. "Not yet." 

Lex was laying back on his elbows when Lucas paused in the doorway. He kept a straight face as Lucas took his time looking him up and down. Lucas' eyes finally met his, and Lex grinned. He spoke in a low voice. "Get undressed." 

Lucas was more than happy to oblige. He toed off his shoes, leaving them in the doorway next to Lex's. With every step he took toward the bed he unfastened a button on his shirt, sliding it off when he was halfway across the room. He paused to let Lex see how good the white tank was for his defined torso, clinging to firm abs and pecs and leaving his toned biceps naked. He peeled it off in a swift movement, walking as he did so until he stood beside the bed to look down at Lex. Lex wasn't grinning anymore. When Lucas didn't make a move to finish undressing, Lex reached out to unbuckle his belt and slide it through the loops. 

He was about to toss the belt on the floor but Lucas grabbed it and draped it around Lex's neck like a scarf, holding onto both ends. Lex growled and attacked his brother's pants with impatient fingers. He could feel Lucas getting harder under his fingers and forgot all about finesse. Lucas stepped out of the pants and Lex stared at the huge bulge under Lucas' white briefs. Too good to ignore, so he leaned forward and started sucking, sucking harder when Lucas' hands tightened on the belt around the back of his neck. He moved his hands around to Lucas' ass, and held on for a few seconds with one hand while fumbling for a condom in the nightstand drawer with the other. He yanked the briefs down and made short work of ripping open the packet and rolling the condom on. Lex shivered at the way Lucas groaned when he started sucking again. The briefs were somewhere around his knees, but Lucas didn't care, just pulled Lex closer with the belt. He threw back his head and didn't try to control his breathing anymore. Lex had most of his cock in his mouth and hands opening him but not inside yet. He was so close but he needed more, he thrust into Lex's mouth and Lex obligingly deepthroated him and shoved his fingers in Lucas' ass, and it felt way too good for the pain to bother him. Fuck, even the pain was good. Then Lex was swallowing around him and stroking inside him and it was too fucking much, and he gritted his teeth and pulsed into Lex's throat, spasms starting at the base of his spine and spreading through his body. He thought maybe he blacked out for a second because Lex's fingers were inexplicably gone, and Lex was gently licking his naked cock clean. 

At some point in time he'd dropped the belt, and he was pretty sure he'd fall if Lex stopped holding him up. Lex helped him out of his briefs and eased him onto the bed, and they lay on their sides facing each other. Lucas closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. Lex's hand was resting on his hip. He was using his other hand to prop up his head as he looked down at Lucas. 

"Fuck, Lex." He grinned lazily and let Lex kiss his lips. He opened his mouth wide for Lex's tongue, arching forward to grab Lex around the waist. 

"Good scotch?" Lex slurred as Lucas licked his tongue. Lucas didn't reply, just started sucking and pulled Lex closer. He traced his fingers over the welt he could feel rising on the back of Lex's neck, and Lex hissed into his mouth. He pulled his fingers away but Lex grabbed his wrist and put the hand back where it had been. Lucas pressed down hard, wrapping his leg around Lex's waist when Lex hissed again. A light brush of his fingers across the welt sent a shudder through Lex's body and he started thrusting against Lucas. 

"Lex," he gasped, "you're still dressed." Together they remedied the situation in a satisfactorily fast manner, and soon they were rolling over each other from one side of the bed to the other, battling for control with kisses and tongues and hands and hips. 

Lex finally got him pinned down and burned his gaze into Lucas before growling huskily - "I'm on top." Lucas responded by running his fingers down Lex's chest, pausing to stroke his cock a few times. One caress of Lex's hip, and he rolled smoothly onto his stomach. 

He covered Lucas' body with his own, grinning into Lucas' neck. "How do you like it?" He always asked, because he liked it better when someone asked him. Lucas shifted under him, not uncomfortably. "Take your time," he murmured. "We've got all night." 

Lex leaned over to get the lube and some more condoms. He put them on the pillow, where they'd be ready when he wanted them. "You're sure you can handle this?" He didn't doubt Lucas had done this before, but the kid _had_ been in the hospital for over two weeks. 

"Shut up and fuck me." Well, if he put it that way. Lex couldn't hold back his smile as he kissed his way down Lucas' spine. He kissed each vertebra, sucking lightly, licking every other one. After all, Lucas had said to take his time, and Lex fully intended to do so. 

By the time his lips made it to Lucas' tailbone, Lucas was completely hard again. Lex bit down on his left cheek and laughed when Lucas jumped up. He gripped Lucas' hips with both hands and continued to bite at Lucas' ass. Lex mouthed around Lucas' hole, and Lucas tried to buck up but Lex wouldn't let him. He reached over to put some lube on his fingers, not caring when some leaked onto the mattress, and pushed three fingers in all at once. Lucas let out a strangled groan and pushed back onto Lex's fingers as Lex worked his tongue between his fingers and Lucas' asshole. He used his other hand to slick himself and put on a condom, which was a bit awkward but Lucas seemed to enjoy the way Lex's fingers were moving around in his ass, so he didn't bother to be gentle. 

Once he was ready, Lex crawled up Lucas' back and started kissing his neck. He held Lucas down with his free hand. "Ready?" Lucas just grunted in reply. Taking that as an affirmative, Lex lifted up to position himself over Lucas, guiding his cock with the hand that was still inside Lucas. He bit down on Lucas' neck as he tried to enter slowly, but Lucas was impatient. Without warning he pushed himself up onto his knees, and Lex nearly fell off the bed. "What the fuck!" 

Lucas squirmed. Lex grabbed one of his brother's hips and gripped Lucas' shoulder with his other hand. He didn't move until he thought Lucas was ready, and pushed in deeper, only to realize that he was already all the way in. Well, fuck. "Lex, I want to-" Lex knew what he wanted so he wrapped an arm around under Lucas' chest, supporting him while he reached up for the headboard. "Good?" 

"Yeah. Move." Keeping his arm around Lucas, Lex tucked his chin into the crook of Lucas' neck and started thrusting. Slow at first, moving his hand from Lucas' hip around front to start jacking him off. Lex started moving faster, and the headboard creaked as they rocked the bed back and forth and Lucas held on tighter. He held his palm over the tip of Lucas' cock, collecting some of the precum and moving his hand up to Lucas' mouth. He felt himself get harder as he watched Lucas lick his hand clean, looking sideways to lock his glance with Lex's. Lex groaned and started thrusting erratically, losing any semblance of rhythm when Lucas dug his teeth in. He matched the bite with his own near Lucas' collar bone, biting and sucking as he spasmed. He was coming hard, and it took just a frantic squeeze of Lucas' cock to make him come too. 

They collapsed onto the mattress together. It took several minutes for Lex to regain his breath and enough brain function to roll off Lucas. He rolled onto his back, covering his eyes with the back of a sticky hand. Lucas was breathing so hard he was practically wheezing. "Lucas?" He rubbed a hand over Lucas' back. It seemed to take a lot of effort for Lucas to turn his head and look at Lex. 

"It's been awhile," he said by way of explanation. Lex didn't reply, just rolled onto his side and wrapped Lucas in an awkward hug. He wasn't usually one for afterglow affection, but it was his brother, after all. They were kind of stuck with each other. 

* * *

Lucas wanted to go after the bastards who'd shot him, but Lex convinced him to wait. "We can't let Lionel know we're onto him." When Lucas started to protest, Lex silenced him with a kiss. "Besides, won't it be more fun to make him pay?" Lucas agreed, even if he wasn't as enthusiastic about it as Lex. He didn't like to wait for his recompense, regardless of the consequences. He'd probably be dead now if Lex hadn't held him back, but he wasn't going to admit it. 

They decided the best plan was to let it appear that everything had gone back to normal, which unfortunately meant that Lex had to return to Smallville. He knew, though, that if he stayed in Metropolis much longer, Lionel would start to get suspicious, and everything would be ruined. 

Lex closed up the penthouse and went with Lucas to the new room to make sure it was safe. "Lex, I'll be fine," Lucas insisted. He pulled Lex into the one-room apartment and pushed him up against the wall, grinding into him and pressing a bruising kiss to Lex's lips. He stepped back with a fiery grin. "Say hi to Helen for me." 

Lex froze. He was joking, right? How did he even know about Helen? Okay, he was just saying it to make it easier for Lex to say goodbye. Lighten the moment. 

As he stepped out of the apartment, Lucas said something else. "Oh, and the baby too, if she didn't get an abortion." 

Lex whipped around. Lucas didn't... "You fucking bastard." 

Lucas grinned. "Yeah, I am." Lex glared at him. "See you in _Small_ ville, babe." Lucas slammed the door shut with a laugh. 

Lex clenched his fists. What the fuck was wrong with him? He was grateful for the limo with driver waiting outside, because he was in no condition to drive. "Smallville," he ordered shortly, and didn't hesitate to retrieve his loyal bottle of scotch from the mini-fridge. 

It was a long drive back to Smallville. 

* * *

Drucking funk. Funk. Fuck. 

Lex pushed away his servants and made his way to the bedroom on his own. He practically had to crawl up the stairs, stopping only to grab a bottle of something, not sure what but hoping it was stronger. He pulled himself onto the bed and kept drinking, sticky in a bad way and everything starting to get blurry. He wasn't sure what time it was when he finally fell asleep. 

* * *

He woke up with a pounding headache and bile in his throat. He spent most of the afternoon - at least, he was pretty sure it was afternoon - leaning over the toilet. He was starting to wish he'd had something to eat, but at least he was conscious enough to be cognizant of what he'd done wrong. 

Cognizant. Well, that was a big enough word. This, too, shall pass, he thought fuzzily. 

Not soon enough. He started retching again. 

* * *

As predictable as the seasons, Clark was knocking on his door once he was finally sober. The servants said he'd been coming around for the past two days, since he'd found out Lex was back in town. 

Someone had changed the sheets and cleaned him up. He thanked God for small miracles that he hadn't been awake for the indignity. 

The black silk pajamas were comfortable, so he didn't bother to get dressed for Clark. If Clark didn't like it, he could just deal with it. 

Clark was sitting in the office, staring out the window into the rock garden. Lex mentally shook himself and plastered on a smile. 

"Good morning, Clark." He was surprised by how steady his voice was, considering he hadn't spoken during the last forty-eight hours. Clark turned suddenly in the leather chair and his grin was blinding. Lex had to stop himself from blocking it with a hand over his eyes. 

"Lex! You're okay!" He jumped up and moved closer to Lex, but not too close, he noticed. 

"Of course I'm okay, Clark. And how are you?" 

Clark shrugged. "I'm fine." He lowered his eyes a bit hesitantly before continuing. "It's been boring without you around here." 

Lex smiled and settled into the couch. He wasn't going back to work yet, and right now he just cared about being comfortable. Still, the desk taunted him, and he glared at it until he noticed Clark looking at him strangely. 

"Join me, Clark," he invited, patting the cushion next to him. To his relief Clark did just that. "So tell me about all the boring stuff that's been going on around here without me." 

He tried to listen, really did, to Clark's stories about school and the Talon and Chloe and Lana's latest melodrama, but his mind kept wandering back to Metropolis, and Helen, which inevitably reminded him of Lucas. He grimaced and had to fight the urge to seek out another bottle of scotch or maybe vodka, he felt more like vodka right now, anything with alcohol in it. 

"Lex? You okay?" 

Lex realized his eyes were closed and struggled to open them. "Sorry, Clark. I'm just... tired." Dead tired. Starting to feel sick again. 

"What happened? They said you were here but couldn't see anyone." Clark seemed clearly concerned. For some reason, Lex felt bad about that. 

"Nothing, Clark. Family business." Because that was all it'd been, in the end. Why he would've thought Lucas was any different. Stupid. 

Clark's face clouded over with sympathetic misunderstanding, and he put a gentle hand on Lex's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You know if you ever want to talk, well. You can talk to me. You know?" 

Lex almost laughed, but he didn't have the strength. No way Clark would understand. Think he was sick. Disgusting. Jesus, Clark was straight, he wouldn't understand sleeping with another man, never mind his own brother. Clark would run away and never come back. 

"I know." Lex looked over at Clark, who was wringing his hands. Projecting, maybe, Lex thought. Sometimes when people said you could talk to them they really meant they wanted to talk to you. "What about you?" He saw Clark try to hide a spark of guilt, then maybe hope, before he continued. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" 

Clark laughed shortly. Nervously. "Um. Well, maybe a few weeks ago, but." He moved his hands into his lap and looked away. "You're, well, promise you won't hate me if I tell you something?" 

Before, Lex would have been intrigued. Now he just shrugged, and the apathy was almost completely real. "I can't promise that, Clark. I have no idea what you want to tell me." 

"Well." Clark took a deep breath. "There was something I'd been meaning to tell you for a while, but then you said you were going to Metropolis, so I... it didn't seem like the right time." 

"Uh huh." Lex wasn't feeling particularly articulate at the moment, and maybe Clark's obvious nervousness had something to with that. 

Clark swallowed, stared at Lex for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, then blurted out, "I'm gay." 

If Lex wasn't so exhausted he might have slapped Clark on the shoulder and congratulated him. As it was, all he could do was smile weakly. He almost said, _that's nice, Clark_ , but realized that wouldn't be sufficient, so he racked his brain for something more intelligent to say. "Hm. So'm I." Way to go, intelligence. 

"Yeah?" Clark was grinning now. Lex was afraid he'd get vertigo if he nodded, so he just said, "Yeah." 

Clark sat there beaming while Lex laid his head back and tried not to fall asleep. They stayed that way for a while, but the time passed quickly for both of them. For different reasons. 

Lex must have fallen asleep because he woke up with Clark's head on his shoulder and Clark's fingers playing with the hem of his pajama sleeve. What the heck? Darn, he was too tired to swear. 

"You know when I said I was gay?" Oh, that was Clark. Okay. 

"Mmm. You're not anymore?" Sarcasm was a knee-jerk reaction. He didn't need to think in order accomplish it. 

"Very funny," and Clark smiled like he really thought it was funny. "Actually, I was going to say that I'm gay because of you." 

I made you gay, Lex wanted to ask. At least Clark didn't seem too upset about it. 

He was upset about the way it'd come out, though, and he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I knew I was gay because I liked you. Like you. Want to kiss you." And then Clark was kissing him, and Lex pulled himself away. This was _not_ happening again. Clark, not Lucas. Lucas. Crap. 

"Clark, stop." His voice was sharper than he'd intended, and Clark immediately. 

"Sorry!" He was flustered. "What did I-" 

"You didn't do anything, Clark." Clark looked confused, and Lex decided to nip this in the bud. "I like you too, but you wouldn't like me if you knew what's been going on in my life." 

"Try me." Clark sounded determined. He stared at Lex until Lex sighed. All right then, this was it. Lex had no mercy. 

"The reason you couldn't see me for two days? I was going between being drunk and recovering from hangovers. You want to know why I got drunk? Because my brother fucked my girlfriend and didn't bother to tell me until after I fucked him." No point sugar-coating it. And he hadn't even mentioned that he'd been right about Lionel being the reason Lucas was in the hospital anyway, and how they'd planned to get back at Lionel together. Lex was pretty sure there was something fucked up about the fact that that made him as horny as the prospect of fucking his brother. 

Lex closed his eyes, expecting the seat beside him to be empty, but Clark didn't move. When he looked at Clark, the boy's eyes were wide. Lex almost groaned. Too much information. 

Clark turned away and stared at the wall, not sure what to think. Lex and his brother? He didn't even have any bible passages for that. 

So went another silent period, except this time Clark wasn't beaming. Finally he realized it was about time for him to go home for lunch and excused himself. Lex was asleep again. When he woke up, Clark was gone. 

* * *

Clark got into the habit of coming over to the manor every afternoon when school let out, and Lex got into the habit of letting Clark sit on the couch watching him work or hang out in the library until five o'clock. They didn't talk much, but Clark seemed to think he needed to be there for Lex, which Lex wasn't in any hurry to debate it. Clark usually left at five, sometimes letting himself out, but he always came back. 

So Lex didn't give it a second thought when the doorbell rang at four one Friday afternoon. He went to the door to let Clark in himself, and felt the floor drop out from under him when he saw Lucas grinning at him from the other side. 

"What are you doing here?" Lex found it hard to construct the sentence and didn't slam the door in time. Lucas easily pushed it back open and breezed by Lex, saying "Nice to see you too." 

Lex followed, determined to throw him out, but Lucas seemed unconcerned as he made himself comfortable in Lex's kitchen. "Do you have anything to drink?" Lex pulled himself together and managed to close and lock the door. He stood behind Lucas, who was rummaging through the fridge. 

"Lucas." He meant to sound firm but it came out almost like a question. Lucas backed away from the fridge and stood up straight before closing it. He turned around with a bottle of vodka dangling between his fingers and bent forward to kiss Lex hard. Lex pulled away violently. 

"Lex. Is that any way to greet your brother?" He leered and opened the bottle, lifting it to his mouth and drinking it like it was water. "Want some?" He held out the bottle, not concerned with the trails of vodka that had missed his mouth and were dripping down his chin. Lex felt the insane urge to lick it off and turned around abruptly. 

"What do you want?" Somehow he'd managed to control his voice. Lex tensed as he felt Lucas move to stand behind him, not quite touching and Lex had to stop himself from swaying backwards. 

"Same thing you do." Lex wanted to ask what that was, but he was distracted by the way Lucas was licking his lips right next to his ear. "Revenge." Revenge? It took a second but Lex finally realized Lucas was referring to Lionel and the reason he'd gone to Metropolis in the first place. Then Lucas was nibbling his neck and it took all of Lex's strength not to move into the touch. 

"Bastard." 

Lucas chuckled in his ear. "Right again, brother, but that's hardly my fault." He went back to feasting on Lex's neck. "Now, back to Lionel." Lucas snaked his arms around Lex's waist and purred into his ear. "We're partners, right, Lex?" Lex didn't know why he couldn't force himself to escape Lucas' touch. Lucas' hands drifted down the front of his pants. "Seems like you want to be, anyway." 

"I said I'd help you get back at Lionel," Lex growled as Lucas' hand slipped inside his boxers. "I never go back on my word." 

"Glad to hear it, brother." Lucas' hands shouldn't be this seductive. Lex let his head fall back onto Lucas' shoulder. "I like hearing the sounds you make too." He attacked Lex's neck with his mouth and continued stroking Lex under his pants. Lex was too caught up in the sensations to care that he was about to come in his pants. Lucas bit his neck and Lex gasped, started thrusting into Lucas' fist despite himself, moaning as Lucas laved his neck with an experienced tongue. Lex wasn't used to losing control, but he was now, couldn't stop fucking Lucas' hand. Fucked up, fucked up, all he could think when came and then realized Lucas wasn't behind him anymore, wasn't anywhere to be found, and Lex dragged himself upstairs to clean up. 

Fucked up. Was he really that weak? 

* * *

Clark sped away when he saw Lucas slip out of the back door. He'd had over a week to get used to the idea of Lex and his brother, and when he didn't think too hard about the `brother' part it didn't really bother him. His opinion changed after he saw them together. He knew it was probably wrong, but Clark thought it was hot. Very hot. He'd felt bad about spying on them with his x-ray vision, but it was over and done with and now he was very much turned on and had to get out of there. 

He hurried up to the loft and jerked off, replaying the scene in his mind. Lucas had been so smooth, so sure of himself, and for once Lex had given up his control to someone else. Clark thought about what it would be like to make Lex give up that control to him, and started jacking himself faster, picturing himself behind Lex like Lucas had been, and he was gone. He bit down on his hand to try and muffle his screams, but it still sounded suspiciously like Lex's name. Clark shuddered and slumped into the sofabed. He didn't wake up until it was time for dinner. 

* * *

Continued in Redemption 


End file.
